I just realized that we haven't made a new thread for the new month!

I've been drinking decaf coffee for the past two mornings and it seems to actually give me the energy I need to get stuff done. Which I didn't think decaf would do anything for me. It is really weird, but at least the laundry and dishes are getting done. (I have fallen so far behind on chores it isn't even funny.) I hate having a messy house. I mean, it as bad as it probably could be but for me it is pretty awful. I just wish it wasn't so hard to keep up with it! How do the mothers who have a handful of kids still keep a beautiful well cleaned house? I wish I knew their secret.

Does anyone have any plans for Valentine's Day? It is DH and my 6th anniversary. We haven't really planned much of anything and it is not too far away! I got a $25 gift card for Red Lobster so we will possibly go there. I haven't been there in years. I really wish I could have some wine or champagne, as we do every year for our anniversary, but I don't know if that is allowed this far in pregnancy? Is one glass okay or is this a big no-no??

Yay for a new month!

I got my second round of blood work done yesterday and my hcg and progesterone numbers are great.

aangel22 - You might want to ask your doctor to be sure, but I know my sister's doc told her that a small glass of wine wasn't a big deal on rare occasion if she had it with food. A few of my friend's doctors have said the same thing. My concern would be about doing it in public, depending on how conservative an area you live in. I think if someone said anything to me, it'd upset me.

I think DH and I are going to just have a nice dinner at home. I don't like fighting the crowds on Valentine's day at restaurants. I was thinking of cooking up some mussels, if they still appeal to me at that point. Although, our favorite French place does sound good right now. Maybe they won't be too busy?

I've been drinking English Tea for the past month thinking it was lower in caffeine then decaf coffee, turned out I was wrong. Found this out after I tried to go back to decaf and ended up with a migraine for 2 days, once I drank my English tea it went away.....Bingo!!! So I'm definitely switching or weaning back to decaf again.
I'm starting to show but still feel like I ate a really huge meal. LOL I'm so excited to see my midwife in a couple of weeks, then she'll give me the go ahead to get my Ultrasound and we find out what gender the baby is. For some reason my family is excited to find out the gender on this one. It'll be our last child so its bitter sweet for me, the grand finale. I'm happy though because I want my body back (though I'll be nursing him/her till they're 2+) and I can sit back and enjoy my kids as they grow.
Valentines completely slipped my mind till last night when I realized how close it was. So far no plans. All our family lives very far away and we don't have any babysitters, so if we go out to eat the kids will surely come too. But I'll probably make something special for him. he's been asking me to make mexican food so I'll probably bust out some family recipes and do a whole fiesta. LOL

Hi ladies!

As far as I know, some caffeine during pregnancy and one (6-8 oz) alcoholic drink per week in the second half of pregnancy is no big deal. A little wine, some sake... low exposure doesn't seem to be an issue and I was advised to drink a bit toward to end to help me relax with contractions Thats the different between a midwife and an obstetrician right there!

Struggling with bloat and nausea here - my calories are around 1900 a day (about 300 higher than they were but still way below my BMR of 2400) and yet I have gained a pound a day, three days in a row! Today I was finally back down a bit, convincing me that it is an issue of hormones causing water retention and a slowed digestion, NOT a result of my eating.

Despite nausea I've been doing pretty good with getting in my extra protein and normal allotment of fruits/veggies. Salad is starting to make me gag, but I'll keep trying. Baby needs folate!

LOL very true, I used the same midwife I'm using now with my last pregnancy and she suggested drinking a glass of wine to get rid of false labor pains that turned out to be the real thing. The OB/GYN's I used with my other pregnancies never mentioned wine.

I'm over the moon right now because I felt these flutters during the night when I was laying on my side. I thought it was a gas bubble and kept thinking "Okay move up all ready!" but then realized it was below my belly button area. They didn't last very long but they didn't have a rhythm, just random movement in the same area. I don't think I ever felt it this soon.

This is our first baby so we're making Vday a big day this year, taking a weekend 3 day trip to Seattle (we're from Canada). I'll be 25 weeks so still small enough to walk around the city all day!

aangel22~ Some countries say 1 unit a week is fine, others say none at all. It's really a personal choice. I really can't imagine ONE drink causing anything. I don't drink myself, but I visited a 42 week pregnant friend (yes!) in the dead of summer, and she threw up her arms and said "Screw you all, I'm having a beer!". Oh, to be overdue.

Hello all. I've been lurking here for awhile, but haven't yet posted.

Aangel22-I'm totally with you on the decaf! I started drinking it a few weeks ago, and my motivation is way up. Maybe it is just the ritual that I missed.

As for the wine, I agree that it is completely personal. Zenor77 has a great point about the area you live it--I got lectured at the liquor store the other day when I was buying beer for my DH. I was pretty rude back to the lady, and it still made me feel guilty--even though I didn't have anything to feel guilty about.

I'm staying away from caffeine until I'm in the second trimester, when I'm having my quota from chocolate! Lol. I'm super paranoid about miscarriage right now, since I had one in Dec '08. This feels way different then that pregnancy did though (way more symptoms,) which I think is positive. Plus my blood work looks really good.

I can't wait until my current doc releases me and I can start going to my midwife. We had to go to a fertility specialist to get pregnant (thankfully nothing too involved) and I want to be done with this part. It's all a little too high tech and stressful. Yes, I chose this, but I didn't realize they don't release you until they see a heartbeat. I guess they are just being thorough.

Is anyone else planning on having a home birth or birth center birth? I have a friend who did IVF and wants to do home birth too. We are thinking of journaling our experiences and maybe writing a book about going from high-tech conception to low-tech births.

sacha~Seattle is one of my favorite cities! Have fun!

Mom4life~Yay! I can't wait until "the quickening" happens for me too.

Riverite, hmm maybe it does have something to do with location. When we live in Calif. they never said anything about drinking wine....it was a big no, no. when we moved to TX and I had my first experience with a midwife. I was shocked that she told me "Take a hot bath and drink a glass of wine to take those false labor pains away." [Since I hadn't found wine that I liked, I chose to drink the Jewish kid wine, haha it was so sweet...never again.] I had heard if it being good to relieve false labor but didn't want to risk it. I don't drink at all but I will reserve that option for just in case in late term pregnancy. I had predromal labor with my #3, if I get it again....I'll be having my glass of wine every now and then. Hoping I don't though.

Zenor77, I will be having my second birth center birth. Because of where we live, there are no midwives that will come out here so we have to drive an hour away for visits and childbirth.
My last one was a candle lit waterbirth. I'm not sure this time around if I want another waterbirth, I may just wing it. Or maybe decided when I'm in active labor to jump in.
Kuddos on writing a book about your journey.

I'm not staying away from caffeine (she says as she sips her venti chai latte). I only have the equivalent of about 2 cups of coffee per week so I'm not worried about it.

We had our first ultrasound a few weeks ago, got to see the bean (looks JUST like a jelly bean) and hear the heartbeat. Seriously the coolest thing ever... it never gets old hearing that little thwock thwock thwock.

My morning sickness is calming down quite a bit (woohoo!), it wasn't nearly as bad with this one as it was with my son. I'll be 10 weeks on Tuesday and with him I was really sick for 6 weeks solid. This hasn't been that bad. Maybe I'm having a girl? What a kick that would be.

I'm off to a women's retreat for the weekend; really looking forward to the time with my best friend and some other girl friends! And, I gotta be honest, a city with more than 2 restaurants!

I had to spend 2 days in the hospital with my freind who was 20 weeks pregnant right along with me delivering her baby that died about 10 days ago :-( it was horrible .

I went to the Dr today, lost 2 lbs this month. Morning sickness will do that to you, I suppose! So, if I don't gain any weight this week I will have lost 2 lbs in my first tri. Much better than the 15 I gained with #1. I'm trying hard to keep my weight under control with this one (working harder some days than others.)

The waistband on my jeans is already getting tighter, what the heck? I'm only 11 weeks. I know you show earlier with your second one, but this is pretty dang early. No one else can tell yet, I can just tell I have less room in the waist of my jeans. Fortunately that's the only place!

well I know that I'm almost to the max weight goal that I had set for my self. I but I can still keep it reasonable. Other than being alittle disappointed in the weight gain the last 3 weeks 5 lbs. Things are getting better. Exercising is really helping my mood and all around energy level that means less snacking.

Mom4life~ I'm hoping to be able to do a home birth. I wish we had birth centers here, but if we do I can't find them. The midwife I go to for my well woman check ups does have birthing capabilities at her office and she has a large jet tub. I really like the idea of a water birth to help with the pain.

Gale02~ I'm already so bloated that I have to use a rubber band on a couple pairs of my jeans! This is my first one too. I guess it just goes to show we are all different in how things go. Hey, where are you in New Mexico? I'm in Albuquerque.

jahjah1223~ I'm sorry to hear about your friend. My sister went through something similar a few years back. It's just awful to watch someone go through that.

I'm amazed at this stage how much my body has already changed. My waist is disappearing fast! I look like I'm straight up and down instead of hourglass these days. It's weird and exciting!

zenor77 - This is actually my second. My first is 14 months old. I haven't started using a rubber band yet, I just leave my jeans unbuttoned. Hopefully no one notices. I'm going to get a Bella Band soon, that should help.
I'm in Los Alamos, so not too far from you!